What’s Hot at Redbox: The Nardio Review of the Hunger Games
By: Jasmine Greene
Is it Worth Your Time?
Yes. Yes! YES!
What Should I Watch it On?
With all the stunning visuals, I would have to say Blu-Ray.
What Did You Think Without Spoiling It?
The Hunger Games is a fully realized world that sucks you in from the very beginning. I didn’t read the books, so while I had a basic understanding of what the movie was all about, I was definitely on the edge of my seat. Since it’s part of a trilogy, I am definitely going to watch the other two movies as well and then read the books. The day The Hunger Games came out on Redbox at 3am, Bernardo reserved it immediately. (He is a huge fan of the books)
Why It Works
It works on pretty much every level. The acting done by Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss is spot on and Josh Hutcherson does a great job as Peeta. Even the supporting cast is amazing with Donald Sutherland as the President of Panem, Woody Harrelson as the Haymitch and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna. None of the actors miss a beat. It’s refreshing to see a movie where I can feel the actor’s passion for their characters on screen.
There’s also the moving story line. After a huge civil war the government submitted the revolting people and divided them up into 12 districts. To impose their power upon the people, the government forced each district to give up one male and female adolescent as tribute. These children would then fight to the death until only one victor remained. This yearly tradition, called the Hunger Games, has been going on for 74 years and the movie tells the story of one girl’s, Katniss, experience.
While you can view the movie as simple entertainment, there’s a lot of depth to the story. Not only does the movie touch upon social commentary – the extremes of “reality TV” – the major message is the struggle to retain humanity and dignity under a totalitarian state. The Hunger Games were created to remind its subjects how absolute is its power as well as humiliate the people of the districts by forcing them to become accomplices of a barbaric custom. By stripping the people of their rights and dehumanizing them, the government is able to keep the districts in line. Even the fact that there is a victor at the end is all part of the scheme to keep the masses quiet and under control. It’s powerful and also strikes close to home in our own present.
No Like
I was kind of sad that the Hunger Games blu-ray at Redbox didn’t offer any special features. Other than that, the movie was fantastic.
Basic Info
- $1.67 for a night rental at Redbox
- Available on Blu-Ray and DVD
- Run-time: 184 minutes
- Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks
- Price on Amazon: $19.99
